Make the most of your LinkedIn invitations

If you use LinkedIn, and chances are you do, have you given any thought to the invitations you send when you invite people to join your network? You should.

If your LinkedIn invitations are generic, it sends the same message as a greeting card that’s addressed to “a valued customer” with no name.Â It’s mass marketing.Â In today’s marketplace, where interactions are endless, it’s the way you connect that makes an impression.

Invitations get to the heart of networking – the exchange of information that forms a give-and-take relationship.Â Whether relationship building takes place in a social context or face-to-face, the art of creating a perception sets the tone of your interactions.Â Nowhere is this as true as it is when you’re sending LinkedIn invitations. The way you invite others to join says a lot about you.

I recently sat down with one of the best networkers I know, and we had a great discussion about the way people invite others to join their LinkedIn group.Â He’s a big fan of LinkedIn and uses it on a consistent basis. Over time, he has develop a rather strong reaction to generic invitations that include no personal comments.Â In fact, when he receives a template version of a request to “join my LinkedIn,” it sends the message that someone is looking to build a database of numbers rather than make a meaningful connection.

Setting the right tone with your invitation makes someone feel like an important connection that could generate an exchange of information for both of you rather than a number in someone’s database.Â The desire to build connections is a worthy goal,Â but sending out a template for mass distribution seems impersonal.

Sending an invitation should involve the same care as sending any correspondence. You want to connect with the person, and the best way to start is by personalizing the invitation.

Networking is building relationships and LinkedIn has removed the barriers between people, and you now have the chance to let your personality come through when reaching out.Â Your invitation serves as the handshake and a greeting.